Friday letters to the editor

Friday

Nov 25, 2011 at 12:04 AM

I’m appalled, but not surprised, to see that the “usual suspects” in the majority of our lame duck Savannah City Council may give all city employees a 2-percent raise while raising fees on every single resident for Savannah’s next year’s budget.

Over the last six months the Savannah Morning News has documented that:

• County real estate valuations are down 10-15 percent and show no signs of returning.

• Retail sales continue at 10-15 percent below 2007 levels.

• Population within the city limits has declined.

Mayor Otis Johnson and Alderwoman at-large Edna Jackson don’t seem to think any of these issues are a problem. Their future priorities focus on vast redevelopment projects in historic neighborhoods with funds transferred from newer suburbs while neglecting renovation of existing facilities.

I say Edna Jackson is sadly out of touch with our needs.

Jeff Felzer has demonstrated that he does understand Savannah’s economy. He understands now is the time to get out in front of these negative trends by cutting the city’s budget combined with lowering taxes and fees and simplifying regulations.

Jeff understands the primary thing that city government can do to stimulate economic growth is to get out of our way. If you want growth, elect Felzer as mayor.

ALAN BOULTON

Savannah

‘Occupiers’ like Tea Party? No way

The drama of the Occupy Wall Street protests continues to drag on. This movement is a farce. This movement has been compared to the Tea Party, but there is no comparison.

Not one person has ever been arrested and not one violent incident has ever been recorded at a Tea Party rally. The Tea Party has never been forced to leave a park or rally site because they were creating a health hazard by defecating, urinating or otherwise polluting the area.

On the contrary, they leave the site cleaner than it was when they got there. The Tea Party has never had an outbreak of tuberculosis as the OWS did in Atlanta. Nor have they destroyed anyone’s property or disrupted businesses like Zucatti Park or shown violence, anti-government sentiments, anti-semitism or public disobedience.

These “protests” are hotbeds for criminal activity and for the most part, nothing is being done.

The media continues to coddle these people and promote their cause. Even President Obama, along with others in the Democratic Party has expressed support.

I would love to see what the reaction would be if the assaults and robberies taking place at Tea Party events. It would be a different story entirely.

MARC WILKS

Savannah

Blame Facebook, media for leadership void

Media sources used to be limited. Information on political circumstances was also limited.

Today, due to the immense amount of social networking and media outlets, the amount of information that’s revealed about political figures has increased.

Inevitably, the void is filled with fluff and nonsense that distracts the public, as well as generally misinforms. The necessity to fill the quota of information that such a large media source requires reduces legitimacy to mere gossip and often ends in demoralizing or dehumanizing people in the spotlight.

This is a clear misuse of the technology, as well as an unethical trait that many social outlets have acquired.

Political figures used to be people who citizens could admire and respect. But with the misuse of today’s technology by allowing media sources to spread malicious rumors and lies about candidates for public office, citizens no longer want to follow them.

The effect of people projecting openly the mistakes that have been made by political leaders is the loss of leadership abilities.

MARGARET ROEDER

Savannah

Reporting suspected child abuse isn’t easy

With all the hype going on with Penn State, I thought I’d share how hard it is to report abuse and how other lesser abuse allegations are given higher priority seemingly because of social standing.

Two months ago, I reported a child molestation case to authorities in Hinesville. I was turned away multiple times. The same thing happened with the police department.

After getting names and badge numbers, the child was finally helped.

Recently, I was told by child protective workers that they had gone to my daughter’s day care to check on my daughter’s welfare and that they needed to do a home inspection. The reason?

My daughter was sick and I took her home to give her Pedialyte instead of allowing nurses to collapse a third vein. She wasn’t in dire need of fluids and the hospital denies even calling CPS. The difference between my daughter and the other child? My daughter is middle class and the other child is below the poverty level.

KATHRYN BRADY

Savannah

Why can’t we all just work together?

In reference to your Nov. 13 editorial, “Mini Unions, Isakson is right,” I would like to express my agreement with the essence and intent, as I read it, of Sen. Johnny Isakson’s bill called “The Representation and Fairness Restoration Act.”

While I’m not in favor of unionizing certain workers, I support the right of workers to do so. As I understand what “mini unions” mean, I agree that this is a bad policy and could result in chaos for many businesses, which isn’t needed during these distressed economic times.

I’m appalled that, like the Republican members of the U.S. House and Senate, you see an ulterior motive in every decision made by President Obama and/or his staff. According to your editorial, there are some outstanding senators who oppose the proposal for mini unions.

Are they opposing because they feel it’s something concocted by the White House? I don’t believe so. They view it as a bad policy period.

If we all agree that allowing mini unions is a bad policy, then working together without consideration of ethnicity or party affiliation we can achieve better results.

ROY L. JACKSON

Savannah

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